Open book exams

[audreysmagic]

PRAISE THE NURSING GODS FOR OPEN-BOOK EXAMS.

...actually, I could leave this post at that and call it a day. Technically, unless it's proctored, any test in an online program could be open-book if you don't get caught. But I have ethics about that and though I don't know how they'd catch me, a strong sense of paranoia even if I was inclined to peek.

I'm in the RN-MSN program at Jacksonville University online (the nursing educator track), which I'm loving if you're looking for one, and their official policy is that no exam is open-book unless the instructor says so. I'm always WAY better on assignments than exams (wicked test anxiety) so I really appreciated when one of my classes last term allowed open-book. This term, both my classes do! One especially makes sense, as it's a research course. I've had a lot going on at work, so this is a relief.

I see a lot of grumbling about open-book in a lot of academic communities, and I can respect the opinions of those who feel memorization is key. Some things you do need to memorize. But my feeling is, open-book isn't open-Internet (though that's a valid resource if you know how to verify your sources). And if you don't know WHERE in the book to find something, open-book won't help you because you'll waste all your test time searching aimlessly. I personally feel understanding a concept (as evidenced in discussions and assignments) is far more important than being able to recite facts - and knowing how to find information in reference guides is also important. Of course, maybe I'm biased because I do better on written assignments. :-D

I'm definitely getting a great feel already for some of of what my teaching style will be when I finish my program...

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't ever want to go to an RN program that did open book, but I doubt they exist.

Wellll...

My program utilized online exams so they were as open book as one chose.

The two caveats:

(1) The exams were timed and had to be completed in one sitting. There wasn't a ton of time to be slogging through books. That said, I had eBooks with a search function and sometimes that was helpful.

(2) At the end of every semester was a closed-book, proctored cumulative final worth 50% of your grade. If you didn't know your stuff, it would soon be obvious... and there was no repeating of classes permitted. If you got less than a B (it was a DEMSN program), you were expelled. They only started a new cohort every two years so the stakes were high.

[audreysmagic, RN]

I remember a couple open book tests prior to nursing school. Here's the trick. You've got to study the material and learn as much as you can. Take the test without the book and if you stumble on a question you don't know you'll still have plenty of time to look it up. Or when in doubt, C it out.

School is too expensive to not really learn the material. That's my opinion.

Yup. I totally agree on the open-book theory; that's exactly how I do it myself. Go back and check things you were fuzzy on.

As for not learning the material...total agreement there. You wanna talk about a waste of money, there are some shady websites out there advertising that they'll take your online classes for you for pay, as long as there are no proctored exams. That's just scary, but why would you even waste your money if you don't intend to learn anything? Fortunately, I didn't see any nursing programs on their list...THAT would be terrifying.

[audreysmagic, RN]

I know, but the way the instructor wrote the exam, she definitely wrote it up for failure because the questions were far too specific that you'd literally have to have impressive photographic memory to remember everything you've read on the textbook.

This was my experience from this particular class. It makes sense though, especially since you have an extensive "cheat sheet" in front of you, so the questions they decide to use are definitely far more difficult than a normal test I'd think.

I see your point, definitely. I'm not a fan of tests like that at all. An instructor's job, in my opinion, is to set students up for success and not failure. But...we've all met instructors that seem to think if you survive them, you've earned your grade.